The collaborative spirit of our Hearing Restoration Project consortium is especially evident as we work together to complete a publication describing our analysis of hair cell gene expression.
Scientists Discover Repair Process That Fixes Damaged Hair Cells
The hair cells deploy a protein called XIRP2, which can sense damage to the cores that are made of a substance called actin. The researchers found that XIRP2 first senses damage, then migrates to the damage site and repairs the cores by filling in new actin.
HHF Is 65 This Year!
More funding and more time leads to more ambitious experimental plans, additional data collected, and a stronger footing for subsequent research and research funding.
A Boost to Inner Ear Organoid Development
This paper explored the potential of the stem cell-derived inner ear organoid system for studying early mammalian placode development. The results will benefit future inner ear organoid applications, such as high-throughput drug screening and cell therapy.
Drug-Like Molecules Regenerate Hair Cell-Like Cells in Adult Mice
“Think about a brake when driving a car,” Chen explains. “If the brake is always engaged, you can’t drive. We found an siRNA that could remove the brake in this genetic pathway.”
Highlights From the Hearing Restoration Project
Here are highlights of recent accomplishments, including demonstrating that a cocktail of three factors can promote conversion of nonsensory cells into hair cells in the mouse model.
Inner Ear Cell Types Between Fish and Mammals Show Similarities
The similarities of inner ear cell type composition between fish and mammals validate the zebrafish as a relevant model for understanding inner ear-specific hair cell function and regeneration.
Hearing Involves Highly Distorted Processing of Sound by Sensory Hair Cells
Studying the distortions generated within the inner ear tells us how these signals may influence our perception of sound and also provides insight into the processes that are involved in basic sensory hair cell function.
Molecular Barriers to Overcome for Hair Cell Regeneration in the Adult Mouse Cochlea
The research suggests that reprogramming with multiple transcription factors is better able to access the hair cell differentiation gene regulatory network, but that additional interventions may be necessary to produce mature and fully functional hair cells.
Cell-Type Identity of the Chick Balance Organ
We have now identified the first events that lead to proliferative hair cell regeneration in birds, which provides new leads that can be translated to mice and ultimately to humans.